Pinball games have been popular for a period of time far exceeding the popularity of other amusement games. An example of this is a comparison of the popularity of pinball games and the PAC MAN video game. Pinball games were popular prior to the introduction of the PAC MAN game and are still popular while the popularity of PAC MAN games has wanned.
The popularity of pinball games is due, at least in part, to the thought and ingenuity of pinball game designers in incorporating features into the game that increase the excitement experienced by the player and produce different results and scores for each game played. One feature that has been successfully included in pinball machines is a drop target. A drop target includes a target that extends above the play field of the pinball machine which once hit by the game ball, drops below the play field. Points are scored when each target is hit by the game ball. An example of a drop target for a pinball machine may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,175 and this patent is incorporated by reference.
The typical prior art drop target, however, limits the alternatives available in the design of pinball machine play fields. The minimum size of prior art drop targets is large and since the size of a play field is limited, there are only a few locations on a play field that a prior art drop target can be placed. The size of prior art drop targets also prevents positioning two or more drop target assemblies close together on a play field.
In addition to their large size, prior art drop target assemblies are of a complex structure making servicing in the field very difficult. Prior art drop target assemblies typically include a rod extending through a trigger for each target. The ends of the rod are held by a yoke that is connected to an armature of a solenoid. To service one of the targets, the entire drop target assembly must be dismantled. Dismantling requires pulling the armature out of the solenoid, removing the yoke, withdrawing the rod, and repairing the target.
The unwieldly size of the prior art drop target assemblies is due in part to the necessity of placing the reset coil at an angle to the frame of the assembly, and to the limitation that the minimum number of targets in a drop target assembly is three. The reset coil resets the targets to the position above the play field. To have the necessary leverage to reset the targets, the typical reset coil is mounted at an angle to the frame of the drop target assembly such that the reset coil extends outwardly from the frame. This alignment of the reset coil requires substantial space and prevents close positioning of drop target assemblies. The frame of prior art drop target assemblies also requires a minimum of three targets. The size of the frame for three targets is the smallest size that will provide sufficient structure to secure the assembly to the underside of the play field.
It would be desirable to have a drop target assembly that requires minimum space and can have as few as one target while allowing drop target assemblies to be positioned adjacent to each other. A drop target assembly of this type would allow designers to create previously unavailable arrays of drop targets on play fields of pinball games.